1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a microwave oven, and more particularly to a microwave oven having an improved structure wherein a power supply cord is extracted through a bottom surface thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Arts
Generally, a microwave oven is an appliance for cooking a food by employing a microwave of high frequency. The microwave oven is popular these days for its advantage that it cooks the food in a relatively short time while maintaining the original shape of the cooked object.
Structure of the microwave oven is briefly described with reference to FIG. 1.
As shown, a body 10 of the microwave oven constructed with a plurality of panels has a cooking chamber 10a and a device chamber 10b.
The cooking chamber 10a is a space that a food is received and cooked therein. A rotatable tray 21 is positioned at the bottom of the cooking chamber 10a. During the cooking operation, the rotatable plate 21 is rotated by a rotating motor (not shown) installed at a lower portion thereof. A heater (not shown) for performing a baking, roasting, heating, etc. is also installed at an upper portion of the cooking chamber 10a.
The device chamber 10b is installed with a magnetron 32 for producing a microwave required for cooking the food, a high voltage transformer 23 for applying a high voltage to the magnetron 22, a high voltage condenser 24, and so on. In addition, a cooling fan 25 for cooling the heat of above components is fixed on a rear panel 11 of the body 10 which defines a device chamber 10b.
In addition, the cooking chamber 10a is installed with a door 30 for opening/closing the cooking chamber 10a on a front thereof, and the device chamber 10b is installed with a control panel 40 for inputting cooking and operational conditions on a front thereof.
Meanwhile, components installed within the cooking chamber 10a and the device chamber 10b are operated by a power supplied through a filter section 26 which is connected with a power supply cord 27.
The filter section 26 functions to block the microwave of high frequency not to outflow through the power supply cord 27. Another function of the filter section 26 is that it filters unadjusted electric current flowing into the inner portion of the microwave oven through the power supply cord 27.
Conventionally, the filter section 26 is positioned at an upper side of the cooling fan 25, and accordingly, the power supply cord 27 connected therewith is extracted out through the upper rear side of the body 10 as shown in FIG. 2.
More specifically, the body 10 is installed with a bushing 28 having an opening at a upper side of the rear panel 11, and the power supply cord 27 is extracted outside the body 10 from the filter section 26 through the opening of the bushing 28. The bushing 28 is made of a nonconducting substance so that it is not damaged by the heat of the rear panel 11 during the cooking operation.
The conventional microwave oven having such a structure that the power supply cord is extracted out through the upper side of the rear panel, however, has drawbacks as follows.
Since the area which the power supply cord is extracted through, i.e., the bushing is a nonconductor of the heat, it is not damaged from the heat of the rear panel which is heated during the cooking operation. However, the problem arises in that some portion of the power supply cord which is extracted out extends down along the rear panel. Thus, when the extracted part of the power cord comes in contact with the heated rear panel, the power supply cord can be damaged from the heat thereof.
Moreover, the power supply cord is merely connected with the filter section through the opening of the bushing. Accordingly, if physical force is exerted to the power supply cord, the latter may be easily pulled out from the filter section.